Sunset Red
by bladewielder05
Summary: "Careful, Red. You don't wanna leave your friends behind, now do you?" A lone cowboy rides into a prospering town. Trouble stirs as the town is constantly harrassed by twin bandits. The cowboy had sworn not to get close to anybody but he must break his promise if he wants to help this town in need. But is it really the twins he's after or...? For Flame Falcon's SSB Western Contest.
1. Chapter 1

**I'M FINALLY PUTTING THIS THING UP! FINALLY! There's that stupid word count again so I'm not going to put up as much Author's Notes like I did in my Christmas Story XD. This is for _Flame Falcon's SSB Western Contest_. Never tried writing a Western, so I'm warning you guys now, it's going to bite. Forgive me if I make any mistakes regarding anything that involves the Old West, guns, facts, things like that. But what the hey, hope you guys enjoy my horrible story. :D Just letting you know, this was written way before DLC Content 2's announcement. Just letting you guys know. Or yeah, there will be character deaths...:D**

* * *

Chapter 1

The wind often brought new and unwelcome things to the musty old town. They were usually tumbleweeds looking for rest, dust clinging for people, papers fluttering for attention, and other things busy people have no time for. Those busy people worried about more "important" matters. Those anxieties needed more consideration than those gone. What was the use of dwelling on the fading and lost? They came and went along with the wind.

However, the wind this time really outdid itself. It brought a young man this time. A few loitering townspeople looked to the East to find a dust cloud approaching them fast. The town itself being far from the East and isolated for many years, the occupants wondered about the new arrival. Their sharp eyes picked out the features the young man beheld: midnight Stetson pulled over his eyes, dusty jacket covered a dusty blue shirt, chaps protected wool trousers, black boots spurred the horse, black gloves twisted the reins, blue bandana threatened to choke the man.

Some of townspeople began to head back inside. They knew. They could smell it in the air. Smoke. Lots and lots of smoke. Like jerky. Only this was real smoke. The young man was going to create a wildfire.

The gray spotted horse finally reached the outskirts of the town. It panted for water and rest, clearly showcasing fatigue in its prime. Either the stranger was a brave man, or a foolish man. No sensible cowboy in that town overran their horses like that, though they had to admit that they would have enjoyed going at the high speed the young man was riding. Fortunately for the horse, its owner seemed considerate enough to get off. The young man took a hold of the reins and stroked the horse's face, whispering gracious words to it. He then led his companion to the side of a two-story building towards the stables. The two other horses inside ignored them as they took to an empty stall. The gray horse began slurping the water from the trough. The young man watched for a while before leaving the stables. He looked towards the saloon doors and pushed through.

Naturally, the occupants of the room quickly analyzed any new arrivals. If familiar, they leave be. If strange, they observe further, testing the newcomer's first impressions. The young man didn't back down from the stares. He glared at the drinkers before walking smoothly to the bar and sliding into a seat. The bartender, a brunette with unwavering eyes, smiled at the stranger. He continued to wipe the clear cup with his cloth.

"What would you like?"

"…" the stranger lifted the brim of his hat just slightly, revealing blue eyes. "What's your best?"

The bartender's grin widened, "I'll get you our special then, Crossed Animals." The stranger just nodded in reply. He watched the bartender twist the knob, filling the tankard with a bubbly, green liquid. The two exchanged, the drink and few coins. The stranger nodded his thanks before taking a sip. When he saw that his customer had no more needs to attend to, the brunette went to serve the other occupants. Unlike most people of his profession, the bartender left his customers alone, unless they wanted to spill their guts over his clean counter.

The stranger leaned forward over the bar, staring inside his cup. Despite its ghastly appearance, the drink really was quite delicious. He took a giant gulp this time. Everybody in the saloon knew that he was a real stranger around these parts due to the age-old dust clinging onto is clothes saw to it. And being a stranger around these parts was not a great choice. Especially with everything going on right now.

In contrast to the stranger's almost gentle entrance into the saloon, the next newcomer smashed right through. The inhabitants looked up only to quickly stare back into their cups or on their tables, the tension in the room almost tripling at the new arrival. The sheriff, dressed in orange with a red Stetson, scanned the area, his blue eyes finally settling on the stranger. Quick footsteps brought him behind the first newcomer.

"You've just arrived?" the sheriff asked gruffly. The stranger could smell everyone's fear, knew instinctively that he shouldn't do anything to anger this person. He looked up before looking back at his glass.

"Yeah…"

"Sheriff Sam. All arrivals have to report in my office. Long-standing rule," the sheriff crossed his arms across his chest. The redhead let the pause stretch for a moment before nodding his head. New as he was in town, he had no wish to piss off a figure of authority.

"Sure thing. Let me just finish this drink first," he quickly gulped down the beverage. The sheriff was nice enough to allow him that one request as he waited patiently for the stranger to stand. The orange cowboy jerked his head towards the door, implying for the redhead to go first. The stranger complied. As the two walked out of the saloon, the occupants seemed to exhale a huge sigh of relief. The tension those two brought was enough to suffocate a cow.

Once they were outside, Sam jerked a thumb towards a wooden building some ways down the street. "Over there," he stepped through the dirt, his boots whipping up mini sandstorms. The redhead followed behind. He paid a second look to his surroundings. He noted the multiple wooden buildings, some with a second story to them. The usual buildings were all there: saloon, bank, general store, town hall, tailor, and gunsmith. Interestingly enough, the redhead noticed that this particular town also had a schoolhouse just on the outskirts. This place he came to certainly seemed to be well off and pleasing to anyone.

As the two walked, the stranger sensed something past the sky above them. He didn't trust his eyes lest they gave him away. Instead, he relied on his other senses to figure out what was going on. The streets were a bit too quiet for his liking. Sure, it was around noon, the time when almost everybody was taking an afternoon nap right after their lunch. However the silence the two men found themselves in hinted that they were walking through a ghost town. The sheriff must have had the same thought because he held up a hand to stop the redhead. He sniffed the air once, twice, before grabbing the cuff of his acquaintance and yanking ground-ward.

"Get down!" Sam shouted as he pulled out his gun. The stranger grunted in surprise. His heart skipped a beat when he heard a bullet whisk by, just where his head had been. If not for the sheriff, he would have met his Maker. He looked to where the bullet came from, a fact made a bit easier by his quick reactions. He could just barely make out a brunette with a white feather in his hair duck on the roof of the saloon. Another noise from his right prompted the redhead to turn quickly. His revolver snapped from its holster with the speed of a rattlesnake. He pulled the trigger instinctively.

The bullet whisked from his weapon. It buried itself deep into the arm of the Native American hiding on the roof of the bank. The target growled loudly in pain as he turned to the side slightly. However, he continued to aim his rifle at the stranger, his finger twitching at the trigger. Fortunately for the redhead, instincts told him to roll right after his shot. The stranger leaped for the cover from the barrels in front of the general store. His eyes scanned the area quickly and noticed that Sam had also taken cover near the barrels of the tailor just opposite and few buildings away.

The sheriff cursed loudly, "It's those damn Twins again." He swore to himself that he would personally hand their corpses to the undertaker himself. He spied from his hiding spot, nodding to the redhead from the opposite street. The sounds of gunfire disappeared as rapidly as they had appeared. The silence stretched until a lone voice called out from the town hall. The redhead frowned as the Native American said something in his language. Clearly, their attackers had no fear of their targets understanding them. The only thing that the stranger understood was the word, "Dark Pit", and he wasn't sure what the significance of that was.

From the roof of the bank, the rifleman growled loudly in response. The stranger reached into his pocket and pulled out a mirror. He tilted the object to reflect the same Native American from before, allowing him to trace his moves. An annoyed growl and the sight of the young man rubbing his eyes alerted the stranger in knowing that his mirror was discovered. He quickly retracted his hand to keep it from being blown off. The voice from the town hall threw a few words before falling silent. The stranger began finding silence an extremely morbid and unwanted companion. How many times had he heard the banishment of noise these past days? It was starting to get on his nerves. The lack of activity after the first excitement was also getting on his nerves. Following that first gunshot, his blood was boiling to bring retribution to those who dared attack him in the first place. The redhead checked his revolver once more before deciding to take action.

"What are you doing?!" he could hear Sam shout as he sprinted from his cover. As he did, he turned to face the roof of the town hall. He could clearly make out the figure of the Native American standing ready with a rifle in his hands. His mind barely registered the fact that this Native American shared very similar characteristics with the other Native American as he brought his revolver up to shoot. The brunette responded with his own shot, albeit not as accurate as his companion. The redhead heard the bullet a few feet away from his arm and saw how his own had missed. He was about to dive underneath the cover of the bank's roof when the sheriff suddenly pushed him out of the way. The redhead grunted in both surprise and anger. He fell to the ground, the impact not strong enough to knock the breath out of him.

His anger evaporated when he saw his ally clutching his shoulder. The stranger saw blood dripping from the top of the officer's shoulder. His eyes scanned upward. The dark Native American that had shot at him first growled in a somewhat pleasant tone as he leaned backwards to not accidentally fall from his position. Before the stranger could shoot, the first Native American called out to the second. At the voice, the rifleman quickly melted backwards, holding his injured arm. The cowboy switched his aim to the brunette but he, too, had disappeared. His anger flared again before extinguishing. He scrabbled over to the sheriff to check the wound. His experienced eyes examined the wound and realization hit him. If the sheriff didn't push him out of the way, that bullet agonizing the sheriff would have found its way in his head. Sam grimaced at the wound. It wasn't something too bad, but it hurt like the very dickens.

"You…saved my life…" the stranger muttered. The orange-clad man snorted in response.

"I'm the sheriff. I'm supposed to be helping people here."

"Even at the cost of your own life?" the stranger's eyes flashed angrily.

The sheriff stared right into the young man's eyes. The first time he laid eyes on him, Sam knew that he was going to like him. The redhead reminded him of him when he was younger. There was a clear difference between the two, but nevertheless, they were the same in the more important aspects. He paused before simply answering, the usual gruffness in his voice gone, "You would have done the same."

At that statement, the stranger looked away. "No," he said bitterly, "I wouldn't have." He let his own pause stretch before asking, "Who were those guys anyways?"

Sam was about to reply when a sharp stab of pain cut him off. The gruffness returned as he replied, "How about getting me to the doctor's first, partner? It's just down that way." He pointed the opposite way of where they initially were heading. The redhead perceived a white building with the sign "Doctor Bros." He looked back at the sheriff and nodded.

"Yeah, I'll take you there."

* * *

 **...Yeah, I had to include Dark Pit in here somehow XD He's not really a main character, but he is a catalyst.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'M FINISHING IT! I'M FINISHING IT! I SWORE TO MYSELF I WILL FINISH IT AFTER GIVING UP AND THEN SUDDENLY REGAINING MY MOTIVATION DUE TO THAT REVIEW!**

 **On that note, thanks Smash King24 for reviewing! :D And thank you telesoap for following and favoriting!**

 **I'll let you guys know now, the rest of the story will seem rushed due to me being the damn procrastinator I am. My first chapter was DEFINITELY more refined than these later, loser chapters. But I tried. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy the story.**

* * *

Chapter 2

"There all done. That wasn't so bad, right?" Doctor Mario patted the young boy's back before putting away his tools. He smiled at the blonde, who returned a shaky grin. The doctor turned to his old friend and chuckled, "So, tell me again why all your relatives seem to share the same name as you, Link?"

The green farmer grinned in response. He shrugged an answer, "I didn't know that they were related to me until they came to me from the East. Gotta say though…," he squinted at the two young boys who smiled innocently at him, "I'll be a cow's uncle if I couldn't tell that they were related to me just from their looks." One of them could almost be mistaken as Link from his younger days. The other had the same hair and sense of style as the other two. However, his large, black eyes made him stand out from his relatives. Link reluctantly accepted the two boys in his life when their mothers wrote to him pleading to take care of them. The farmer knew he had a strange family, but two lookalikes may have been a bit too far. To make matters worse, both were also called Link by their mothers. At that, Link had to put his foot down. He renamed his kid-self Young while the other earned the name Toon.

Doctor Mario was about to reply when his doors suddenly burst open. A redhead cowboy led Sheriff Sam inside. The short doctor stood in alert immediately when he noticed how his friend was holding his arm. His quick eyes picked up the bullet injury in his shoulder. Mario gestured for the cowboy to bring his into the back room, "Hurry! We haven't much time!"

The stranger nodded his understanding and was about to comply when the sheriff jerked away from him. "I can walk, ya know," Sam said gruffly as he made his way towards the room. Upon hearing his friend's voice, Mario immediately knew that the stranger did not yet know the sheriff's true identity. The doctor shrugged philosophically. When he wanted somebody to know, he would tell them. Otherwise, he just kept his mouth shut. Doctor Mario closed the door behind him.

Toon's already wide eyes widened even further. He tugged on Link's shirt, "Uncle Link, is Samus going to be okay? Her shoulder looked really bad." The farmer was about to reply to the kid's question when the stranger who helped the sheriff interrupted him.

"Hey, I think that kid of yours is mistaken or something. The sheriff's a man and his name's Sam."

"No! The sheriff's a girl!" Toon argued before Link could explain. "Her name's Samus! How can you not see that?" The redhead stared at Toon in disbelief. Link placed a hand on his relative's shoulder, signaling that it was his turn to talk.

"Excuse him. He can forget his manners at times," Link hinted quietly. "I'm Link. These two are my relatives, Young and Toon. Their real names are Link as well, so I just gave them those nicknames to make it easier on everybody in town." He stretched out a hand as he pointed to each boy in turn. Young waved shyly while Toon looked away, clearly still angry about the stranger's statement.

The cowboy shook Link's hand firmly, "Roy." Roy grinned at the two kids, "Hope you two are old enough to ride." Toon turned back to nod his head excitedly, already forgetting about Roy's earlier statement.

"I'm big enough!"

The cowboy smiled at the kid's enthusiasm before turning back to Link. He leaned against the wall, "Hey, so what did the kid mean by 'the sheriff's a girl'?" It was amazing to Link how Roy was able to get the kids to warm up to him so quickly. It took him about a day to get Toon to respond excitedly to him, and yet this stranger was able to cheer him in a matter of minutes. Then again, it could be because he was a cowboy, and Link knew how much the two boys adored cowboys. The admiration was clear in their eyes. The farmer shrugged in response:

"I'm sorry. That's not really my place to say. If Sheriff Sam wants to tell you, E'll tell you."

Roy was about to protest, his curiosity getting the better of him, when he mentally stepped back. He realized that the sheriff may be in the same position as he was. If he or she didn't want to talk about it, then he shouldn't pry. Roy respected that as he knew how annoying it could be to have strangers want to dirty themselves with their neighbors' secrets. His thoughts were interrupted when Link spoke up.

He asked, "What happened to the sheriff? How'd he get hurt?"

The cowboy looked over to the farmer. He crossed his arms and thought back to what happened, "Two Native Americans shot at us. Sheriff Sam saved me from the black one. Would have met my maker if it hadn't been for the sheriff."

Link swore softly when he heard Roy mention the two Native Americans. His blood boiled at the thought of the bandits getting in a shot at Samus. At first, he wanted to blame this cowboy in front of him for getting Samus hurt. Then he thought again. No, it wasn't exactly Roy's fault that his old friend got hurt. If anything, Link just regretted a bit how Samus could be so dead-set on saving people from danger, including those she probably will never meet again in her life. That was just the way she was. You couldn't ask for a better sheriff than that. It was Link's turn to have his thoughts broken when Roy questioned, abandoning his questions about the sheriff:

"Who were those guys anyway?"

The green farmer was about to answer when Doctor Mario opened the door to enter the room. The outsiders were unable to gauge the sheriff's condition as the doctor quickly closed the door.

"How is she?" Link asked.

Doctor Mario looked at Link and nodded. He smiled at Roy in thanks, "You two made it just in time. If you hadn't, the sheriff may have not been able to use that arm ever again. I'm Doctor Mario, by the way." Despite himself, Roy couldn't help but smile back. He tipped his hat to accept the doctor's gratitude and acknowledge his name.

"Roy."

Mario's expression changed to one of seriousness. "The two Native Americans you must be talking about are bandits who terrorize the inhabitants here for God knows what reason. They're twins, go by the names of Pit and Dark Pit. Sheriff Sam's been trying to bring them to justice ever since they started. But they know their way around town and the forest beyond. It's a very difficult job for just one man. I'm surprised though," Doctor Mario looked at Roy, "how did you ever manage to shoot Dark Pit, from what I heard from Sam? It's darn-near impossible to shoot those two."

The other three occupants also looked at Roy in surprise and admiration. It was known throughout the whole town how extremely difficult it was to shoot even one of them. The sheriff was a great shot, and yet she wasn't able to shoot them ever since they began. Roy just shrugged, "I'm used to it."

Link shook his head. He knew just how fast and elusive the two bandits were. He himself tried to help his friend hunt them down and he was a pretty darn good shot himself. The cowboy standing in front of them must have had loads of experience dealing with guys like those. Link didn't pry any further, knowing full well that guys like Roy liked to keep their history under wraps. Seeing Roy's discomfort in discussing his inhuman ability to shoot, Doctor Mario quickly changed the subject, "Are you thinking of staying in this town, Roy? Or are you moving on?"

Roy quickly shook his head, "I'm going to be moving on. I don't like stayin' in one place for too long." Young and Toon's ears both stuck up at that. They faced the cowboy sadly.

"Aw, you're leaving? Can't you stay for a bit longer?" Toon asked. Young nodded in agreement. The cowboy smiled sadly at the two and ruffled their hair. They complained lightly at the messy state their hair was now in, thanks to him.

"Sorry, kiddos. It's better this way."

"I disagree," Link spoke up. Roy looked at him in surprise. Link made a compromising gesture, "It's about to become dark soon and it's always dangerous to travel at night. If anything, I'm pretty sure those darn bandits would want your head on a stake. If you're out in the open, they'll do it. But they don't seem to like to enter our houses. At least they're good in that one aspect. Why don't you stay at my place for the night? Consider it thanks for helping my friend."

The cowboy crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought. What Link said made sense. Being out alone in the wilderness at night was dangerous. Roy experienced it before and made it out alive. However, Fate was a fickle mistress and he couldn't expect her to continually allow him to live all the time. Link's offer was sounding more tempting by the minute. It was his last statement that cinched it. Roy knew how annoying it was to have a long-standing debt. If he was indebted to another person, he would want to pay it as soon as possible. Link was no different. Roy smiled, "I'll be leavin' first dawn."

The farmer returned the cowboy's smile and shrugged, "No problem."

…

"Please! You have to help him!" the brown-haired Native American pleaded to the man in front of him. Following the tradition of his tribe, Pit wore a headband with two white feathers on either side and geometric-patterned leggings made of caribou hide. However, he and his twin brother adapted to the white men who drove their tribe out of their lands. He wore a cowboy's shirt and jacket along with spurred boots. His trusty gun lay snuggled in its holster on his right side while he hung his pistol over his shoulder. The Native American had a few bags of unknown substances in them tied to his belt.

The man sitting in a comfortable chair behind a wooden desk before him dressed quite differently from Roy and the others. Instead of supporting a cowboy's preferred attire, this man wore a black suit matched with a purple tie. His gray hair slicked back with two small extensions on the top. His purple eyes stared coldly at the criminal as he leaned back in his chair. "Are you that willing to do more to help that worthless twin of yours?" he smirked. The dim lights matched the tense atmosphere the Native American was feeling. He was comfortable in the dark, sure. But this darkness wasn't natural. It secreted man-made things that Pit had no idea how to use.

Pit slammed his fist on the man's desk. His boss didn't flinch, much to his disappointment. "Dark Pit is _**not**_ worthless! He is a better shot than me!"

"Which makes him all the more a disappointment seeing how a simple cowboy was able to shoot him so easily," the purple man replied. Pit shook his head in response. He wished he could just knock this white man over his high chair and punch some sense into him. However, Pit knew that that wasn't the best course of action right now. He and his brother, as much as Pit wanted to deny it, needed this devil's spawn more than he needed them.

"That white man was no ordinary cowboy, Mewtwo. He was a snake, a vicious snake that preyed on eagles!"

"A vicious snake, huh?" Mewtwo calmly raised an eyebrow. Pit nodded quickly.

"A red-haired snake! Those are the worst! Having any color of blood on you is bad luck, sir."

"Red…" the business man stirred at the word. He leaned forward a bit, giving no hint of his growing interest. "Tell me…did this cowboy dress in almost all blue and rode a gray horse?" The Native American screwed his eyes in thought. He leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed to focus. He thought back to his encounter with Roy. Although he only got glimpses of the cowboy, Pit had trained himself to quickly notice personal traits that would allow him to recognize that person again in the future. Pit nodded in confirmation.

"Not sure about horse. He did wear blue and black."

Mewtwo's mind whirled. If what Pit said was correct, that would mean that he was in town. It may be a long shot, but there weren't too many cowboys whose hair was red. That cowboy was the most likely the one he was looking for. If not, well then…that would have been too bad. The man's mouth twisted into a smirk as a plan formed. Yes…so there was a way to possibly finally get rid of the pest that always managed to find his way to him. Mewtwo smiled evilly at Pit. The Native American unconsciously scooted back. He had been working under this man for many years after his tribe had been driven out of their land. He knew what that smile meant and prayed to his gods to protect him and his brother.

"I'll send for the best doctor for your twin. But to pay for the expenses," Mewtwo stared right into the Native American's eyes, "I want you to kill that cowboy."

Pit immediately shook his head, "Sorry, boss. I cross the line at killing. My brother and I may terrorize that town for you, we may steal them business and them cattle. But we _**ain't gonna start killing**_."

"Oh, come now. Just think about it. If you don't follow my order…then Dark Pit could very much die." Mewtwo's words stabbed deep. However, his words hinted more than the simple flesh wound killing Dark Pit. He was casually implying how the younger Native American's life could very much be in danger, with or without that bullet. Pit felt the guilt of choosing his tribe's beliefs over his brother mounting in his chest. Mewtwo continued his attack, "It really is a pity for your brother to die just because of your tribe's rules. In fact, isn't that why your brother is the way he is now? Because of your tribe? I'm rather surprise you don't feel resentment towards your people for doing that to your own brother. Shouldn't you two look out for each other? What's one stranger's life compared to your brother's, hmm?"

Pit shook his head in pain as Mewtwo forced him to remember their past. At that thought, tears were threatening fall. The Native American looked at the ground to avoid his boss's gaze. After a brief moment of struggling games, Pit finally nodded in defeat. "I'll kill him. If it would save Dark Pit, I'll kill him. I'll kill everyone if I have to."

Mewtwo smiled softly, "Good boy. Go on. Run along now. I'll send for the doctor right away." The man shooed the Native American with an airy gesture. Pit looked at his boss for a few moments before stepping out of the room. He lightly closed the door and started down the hall.

A growl alerted him to look behind him. A smile spread on Pit's face, "Hau, Dark Pit!" His twin shook his head quickly as he growled again. Pit reared back in surprise, "What are you talking about? I'm not forced to do anything bad!"

Dark Pit gave Pit his infamous look of disbelief. The younger Native American pointed and snarled. Pit crossed his arms, "Don't worry 'bout me! Worry 'bout self!" Dark Pit stomped his foot in anger. He waved his hands in gestures secret to everyone but them. His animal-like speech began to annoy his twin, especially since Dark Pit was obviously accusing and trying to lecture him. Pit shook his head again, "Like I say, worry 'bout self!" With a note of finality in his words, he turned and ran down the halls. Dark Pit reached out to stop him, but his brother was too fast. While Dark Pit was blessed with remarkable marksmanship, Pit was gifted with speed and stealth. The Native American couldn't catch up with his brother even if he tried. A small whimper rose from Dark Pit's throat.

"Don't worry about him," he heard a soft voice say. Dark Pit turned to growl at the young man standing right behind him. The cowboy wore an attire in almost all-yellow with a few splotches of black. His hat was all yellow with a black trim, and he wore a black bandana around his neck. Pichu held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Calm down. I don't understand what you're saying, but try not to be so angry with your brother. He's trying his best to help you." At that, the Native American snorted and grunted a few more things that only Pit would have been able to translate. Pichu shrugged, "Like I said, I don't understand you. So let's get that your shoulder of yours looked at."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Although it was Roy's original intention to leave first thing in the morning, the bed he slept in was so soft that he actually overslept. When he woke, he heard Link calling to Toon to water the fields while he took care of the animals. Roy sat up in his bed and stretched his arms over his head. As per his custom, he took his gun from underneath his pillow and his belt from the table next to his bed. He wore the belt, tucked the gun in its place, and reached for his boots standing underneath the table. The room he inhabited for now still held traces of the trees used to build Link's home. From the cracks in the floor, a small green sprout bathed in the sun. Roy grunted as he stood up from the bed, stretching once more.

Scratching his belly, he walked out of the room into the kitchen. Young looked up from where he was washing the dishes. Upon seeing their guest, the boy quickly moved over to the counter where a dish of heaping hot pancakes waited. He grabbed the plate and placed it on the table.

"For you," the boy said shyly, as if it wasn't obvious enough.

Roy couldn't help but grin at the boy, "Well, that's mighty kind of you, but I have to go check on Seal."

Young shook his head quickly in response. "Don't worry! We already took care of your horse! He's been fed! The wash's outside." Young's face reddened as he rushed out of the house. Roy stood a bit dumbfounded for a moment before ruefully shaking his head. He couldn't believe that these people would go out of their way to help a stranger to an extent like this. It was getting more and more dangerous for him stay here. He already told himself to avoid as much contact with strangers as much as possible. And yet…here he was, being indebted to the people who were initially paying him back. Roy scratched his head. It was probably because of those two kids that he opened up so quickly. He always had a weakness for kids.

The cowboy walked outside, his feet protected by his boots from the hot, dirt ground. His eyes quickly perceived how peaceful Link's place was. Rows of lush, green crops waved in the light breeze, a few reds and yellows peeping from the leaves. The red barn just across the house sounded with animals. Tall wooden fences kept the cattle and chickens out of the fields. A large apple tree stood near the house, tall and proud. There was a certain sweetness in the air, as if produced by the fresh vegetation around Roy.

"Oh, you're up," Link walked up to the cowboy with a hoe on his shoulder. "Got a good night's rest?" Roy nodded silently. The green farmer laughed. "You're so open with the kids, but I noticed how you speak less than usual whenever some adult talks with you. Something wrong with us?"

"Huh?" Roy blinked in surprise. This man was extremely perspicacious. Roy scratched his head, "Oh, sorry about that…"

Link shrugged, slightly confused, "There's really nothing to be sorry about. Heading out right now? I noticed that you don't have your full gear on."

"I was just about to wash up," the cowboy responded. "Haven't have breakfast."

"Oh, better finish it up then! Young makes some of the best pancakes and Toon really can't get enough of it! Better be careful!" Link laughed cheerfully. "If you need us, we'll be out in the fields." The farmer whistled a tune as he walked away. Despite himself, Roy had to grin at the man's cheerfulness. His personality yesterday seemed like a lie compared to the one he was displaying right now. Maybe Link just felt more comfortable on his farm than in the doctor's office. Roy briefly wondered about Doctor Mario's brother as his sign did say "Doctor Bros" when he reached the trough for washing. The cold water splashed and energized the cowboy. Forgoing the towel, Roy simply wiped his face with his hands before walking back into the house. Sure enough, his stack of pancakes seemed to have gotten smaller. He shrugged philosophically and sat down to enjoy his breakfast. Link was right; the pancakes were delicious. The cowboy quickly devoured them. He wiped his mouth with a cloth and placed the dish along with the utensils into the sink. He glanced outside the window in front of him.

Link had his arms crossed, his head tilted to the side, as he examined his fence. A large portion had broken down last night by God-knows-what. He needed to rebuild this fence as soon as possible lest his animals would get in. He sighed, scratching his head in thought. He didn't want to get the boys to help him as he needed them to do the other chores around the farm. But if he didn't get help, then rebuilding this fence would take an extremely long time.

"Gonna rebuild that fence?" asked a voice behind him. Link jumped a bit in surprise. His heart slowly returned to his normal rate when he realized it was just Roy. The cowboy sure walked quietly.

Link nodded in confirmation, "It's gonna take a while, but I have to do it. Can't get the boys to help me since I need them to do some other stuff." He smiled at the cowboy, "I'd assume that you would have been gone by now, Roy."

Roy stayed silent for a moment before rolling up his sleeves, "I got time to kill. What'd you need help with?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! There's no need, partner. I can handle it myself."

"Not from what I can see. This would take at least three days. If I help, it'll go by a lot faster," Roy said. "If you're worried about being indebted, don't be. Those pancakes of that boy's were delicious." Realization hit Link, causing him to smile. So Roy was helping out to repay for those pancakes, huh? Was this even equal payment, Link briefly wondered before shrugging.

"If you're so dead-set, then I shouldn't complain. Can you lift that end of the fence over there?"

After several hours of working under the sun, the two men still had a ways to go. Link called for a break and the two leaned against some of the wooden posts. The farmer handed the cowboy a jug to drink. Roy gulped the refreshing water greedily before handing it back to Link. He also took a swish and sighed.

"So where you heading off to later, Roy?" Link asked.

Roy shrugged, "Nowhere, really. Just keeping west."

"Any particular reason for that?" the farmer inquired, almost in a gentle tone.

Roy closed his eyes, feeling the sweat trickle down his neck into his shirt. The wind never felt so refreshing before. Link watched the cowboy carefully.

 _"Hey! Know why the sunset's red? It's because out of all the colors, red's the one that travels the fastest!" Roy grinned mischievously at his best friend._

 _"You just made that up, Roy! But I guess it's true to a certain extent," his friend replied, elbowing Roy in the ribs jokingly. The young boy gasped in surprise and covered his sides to prevent any more ambushes._

 _"Don't do that!" he laughed. His expression then changed to one of confusion as he thought about his friend's last statement. "What do you mean, 'to a certain extent'?"_

 _"Well…" the taller kid ruffled his friend's red hair. "You're definitely fast. And your hair's red too! So be careful about leaving your friends behind, Red!"_

 _"Ha! What are you talking about? I'll never leave my friends behind!"_

Roy opened his eyes, "Because the sunset's red. And red travels the fastest…"

"You sure you're not complimenting yourself?" Link joked. He was caught off guard a bit at the cowboy's cryptic answer. He was probably remembering some stuff from the past, the farmer mused.

The cowboy had to laugh at Link's respond. To be honest, he wasn't expecting that. It was something he would expect from his friend, certainly, but not from a complete stranger like Link. "Yeah, I'm sure. I used to when I was younger, but I've learned to stop doing that."

"Seems that way to me. You're probably from far east, huh?"

"What? How did you-?"

"It was just a guess, Roy," Link grinned. "Most people who come to this town are from far east. Besides, I saw you riding into town the other day from that direction." Roy shook his head, grinning at the farmer's deductions. "Young and Toon came from the far east too," Link muttered. "Their mothers sent them here, most likely to escape from the tuberculosis outbreak over there…" The redhead looked at him sharply but didn't say a word. "Doctor Mario's brother, Doctor Luigi, also died from tuberculosis. I heard that he was actually in the east trying to find a cure for it. It really got to Mario how his brother was killed by something they were trained to take care of…"

"Why are you sharing this with me?" Roy asked.

Link smiled at him, "I just figured you were a bit curious."

"What about you? Where were you from?"

"Me?" Link leaned back in surprise. "I'm pretty much from the east like everyone else. Not as far east, but east enough."

"Hmph…"

"I left when I was a bit old enough to stake out on my own. Had a little trouble back home, really," the farmer chuckled. He stood up and stretched his back. Link grimaced at the still-broken fence. He really wished that whatever hadn't knocked down the wooden posts. It was really taking a toll on him. "Might as well start with the fence again…"

"Still procrastinating, ain't ya?" said a gruff, yet warm voice. Roy looked up to find Sheriff Sam frowning at Link, yet there was a certain deadpan humor to his smile. The sheriff had his arms crossed over his chest. Roy blinked multiple times. Was it just him or…? Link scratched his head sheepishly.

"At least I get my work done, Samus…" the farmer's eyes widened as he suddenly realized what he just said. He covered his mouth in shock, eyes darting back and forth between Samus and Roy. The sheriff looked quizzically at his friend, the cowboy mirroring the same look. Then Samus realized why Link was so nervous. Much to Link's surprise, the sheriff shrugged.

"It's fine, Link. I'm sure he'd understand."

"Understand what?" Roy asked, the puzzled look still on his face. The two old friends exchanged a quick look.

"Try not to spread it, partner, but I'm a woman," Samus revealed. At that, Roy's mouth dropped open in surprise. He took a closer look and could now just make out a few feminine qualities to the sheriff. The cowboy shook his head in wonder at how she was able to disguise herself as a male so easily. Her attitude probably contributed to it the most.

"Who else knows?"

"Only Doctor Mario and the Links. Other than that, you're the only one left," Samus fixed the position of her hat. "I'm pretty sure you would find out sooner or later by yourself, but I would rather let you know now."

"But…why hide it?" Roy wondered. "From where I come from, there are plenty of cowgirls. Why the disguise?"

Samus grimaced. She turned and walked back to her horse. As she left, she said, "Because the people here are as stubborn as a bull." The sheriff reached her horse and rode away. Roy watched her disappear in the dirt clouds. He saw movement at the corner of his eye and saw Link move towards the fence.

"If Samus told you, that means she trust you," Link smiled.

Roy stared at the farmer before turning to his portion of the fence. "…I don't think I should have that trust…" Link looked up sharply at that but said nothing. They continued working without another word. Despite the two's skill in carpentry, the fence still had a long way to go before functioning fully. Seeing the sun setting in the west, Link told Roy that they should turn in for the night. As Roy rose from the ground, Link noticed how a mirror on the spot where the cowboy had sat. He picked it up and examined it briefly. It looked like an expensive mirror, protected by a silver covering.

"Hey, I think you dropped this," Link held out the mirror to Roy. The cowboy took one look before snatching up the mirror and tucking it safely away. Link was puzzled by his reaction but didn't say anything. They met up with Toon and Young just outside the house. Everyone but Young went to wash up. The boy served hefty plates of potato salad, baked beans, corn, and biscuits. The tired four were glad to dive right in after a long day's hard work. Like his pancakes, Young's food was great.

"I'll be a cowboy like you when I grow up!" Toon said cheerfully. His open mouth sprayed a few beans onto his plate. Link looked disapprovingly at him.

"Please, Toon. Chew with your mouth closed. Don't talk with food in your mouth." The young boy was about to do it again when he heeded Link's lesson. He nodded in response and continued to chew his food. Roy had to smile at the kid's enthusiasm. And yet…his face fell when the enormity of Toon's words weighed on him. He stopped eating for a moment.

"Being a cowboy isn't all fame and glory, Toon. There are times when…you have to do something bad. Not only that, you meet some pretty bad snakes. They may look human, but underneath all that skin is a slippery rat with scales."

Young looked at Roy wide-eyed, "…did you meet anyone like that?"

Roy returned the boy's look. Although he wanted to lie to the kid to prevent him from knowing anything, he just couldn't bring it to hide the truth from these kids. "Yeah…I met a few. But there's one man who's worst than all of them."

"What's his name?" Toon asked.

"Mewtwo," Roy spat the name as if it was poison. Link looked up at that. "He's a real rat in human clothing."

"Mewtwo, huh?" Link muttered. Toon and Young switched their attention to their guardian.

"You know him, Uncle?"

Link shook his head as he bit into a hot biscuit. His expression changed from serious to pain. He released the biscuit from his mouth, proceeding to blow on it before attempting another bite. He was a bit hurt to see Toon and Young looking disappointed.

"But…" the three relatives looked back at Roy. He smiled softly, "at least I get to meet people like you."

"But we're nothing special," Young said. The cowboy shook his head and reached over to ruffle the kid's hair affectionately.

"Only to you. To me, you guys are special," Roy bit tossed some beans into his mouth. "If you want, I'll teach you guys how to ride Seal sometime."

"Yeah!" both Toon and Young cheered. Link smiled at their youthfulness and spirit. He was glad that he got the chance to meet Roy and was even happier that his relatives had taken a liking to him. However, he was slightly afraid. A stranger like Roy usually brought a storm with him, whether intentionally or not. Link could feel in his bones that something big was going to happen soon, something that could put all of them at stake. He knew that Roy was hiding more than just his home. He was hiding his past, something that shook him to the point of him escaping towards the west. It wasn't an action Link would approve, but it was Roy's choice. Even though they were barely intermediate friends, Link still felt a responsibility to take care of the cowboy until the time came for him to leave them. The same, uncomfortable feeling of something malevolent continued to loom over him. But for now…Link would take in everything life had to offer, one step at a time. Should Roy wish to talk about his past, the farmer would lend an ear. If not, then that was all right as well. There was no need to rush things.

Unfortunately, things rushed faster than Roy or Link could ever imagine.

* * *

 **AKA, I procrastinated to the point that I rushed through this story and cursed my existence and ways of writing and hopping between stories.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

While Roy continued to spend time with the Links, another person was on the move. Pit aimed his gun at the short, big-nosed grocer trembling behind his wooden counter. His employee, short, big-nosed, blue-haired boy watched in fear behind the pantry. The Native American tossed an empty bag on the counter.

"Fill it up," he snarled, wiggling his gun pointedly. Olimar nodded fearfully as he took most of the money from his register and placed them into the bag. Pit barely reacted to the pile of money. Before Olimar could place the last bit of cash inside, the bandit grabbed and pulled the sack away. Pit quickly stepped out of the general store. He grunted at the various pots of plants that littered the store's porch. Resisting the temptation to pluck one of the flowers, the Native American sprinted towards the forest. He heard the grocer scurry to his porch and yell for the sheriff. Pit grinned to himself, knowing full well that even if the sheriff got on his horse, he would be too late to stop him. The lush, green forest was a great place for him to hide and he had used that same forest on many occasions to escape the sheriff with his brother.

His brother…once under the cover of the trees, Pit stopped. His heavy breathing sent some of the smaller animals scattering. Those animals in turn startled a few birds, causing them to fly to safety. One bird fluttered so hard that multiple feathers fell to the ground, some on Pit's head. The bandit shook his head clear of the quills. His face fell as he dropped to one knee and picked up one of the fallen feathers. He examined the black feather nostalgically. He closed in his eyes as his mind wandered back to his old memories.

 _"Dark Pit, you can't play with us!" the foxy-looking boy in front of the twins frowned. Dark Pit's eyes widened before narrowing in anger. He growled loudly at the group of children. They all made faces back at him._

 _"Leave, Dark Pit!"_

 _"We don't want you and we don't like you!"_

 _"Go away, you freak!"_

 _"Stop it, you guys!" Pit stood in front of his brother protectively. "Why can't he play with us? He's not bad or anything!"_

 _"Of course he is! He can't talk! He's not even supposed to be here!" the leader accused, jabbing a finger in Dark Pit's direction. Pit could feel his brother shrinking behind him but the negative energy from before increased._

 _"He too can talk! Right, Dark Pit?" Pit smiled reassuringly at his brother. Dark Pit looked back. The younger boy stood quietly for a moment before shaking his head furiously. Pit stared at his twin in shock. "B-but…you talk to me all the time! Go on! Prove them wrong! Say they're wrong!" His brother continued to shake his head. He growled something incoherent. "D-Dark Pit!" Pit reached to grab his brother's shoulders, but the twin pushed him away._

 _"Gggrr…gggrrrrooo!" Dark Pit howled as he turned around and ran towards their tent. Pit stood there stunned. He could only watch as his twin disappeared into the tent, knowing full well that their mother was inside._

 _"See, Pit? Your brother can't talk. You should be grateful that he's even allowed to stay in our tribe," one of the boys wearing blue feathers in his band and looking very falcon-like smirked. Pit turned to glare at all of them. He pointed at them angrily:_

 _"You're wrong! You're all wrong! And you're all mean!" Pit sprinted back towards their tent._

 _"Mother, why can't Dark Pit talk?" Pit asked. Palutena looked at her son, shocked. The little boy stood at the entrance of their tent, his eyes puffed and red. Palutena carefully placed the animal skin on the floor before walking over to her son and picking him up. "I can talk just fine, Mother. How come Dark Pit can't talk? It's not that hard."_

 _"Oh, I'm so sorry, Pit," Palutena hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry…"_

 _"What are you sorry for, Mother?"_

 _"You're still young…and I don't know if you'll understand…but you do have to know…" Palutena looked at her son's eyes with her own red ones. Pit stared back at her, oblivious to why his mother was so sad._

 _"I'll understand, Mother. You can tell me."_

 _"…Remember those stories you hear the elders tell?"_

 _Pit nodded excitedly, "Yeah! Those are the best!" Palutena didn't change her expression, causing Pit's face to change._

 _"Those stories are real, Pit. They've been passed down to us from generation to generation…they are true words seen by our ancestors…including the ones about Twins."_

 _"T-twins?" Pit's eyes were wide with surprise and fear._

 _Palutena nodded, "It's true that whenever twins are born, one represents all the good in a person. The other twin…has all the evil of a person. When you two were born, the elders were shocked. They performed many rituals to ensure that they knew which twin was the evil one…and it was Dark Pit."_

 _Pit shook his head vehemently, "No! Dark Pit can't be the evil one! He's not evil at all!" His mother placed a finger on his lips to silence him and let her continue._

 _"I know, my little one. I know. Our custom was that when we found out who the evil one was…we will kill him. However, I begged and pleaded with the elders to spare him. I begged them to spare both of you. They almost refused until I offered that they take away his voice. They consented, and that's why Dark Pit would never be able to speak."_

 _"But why?"_

 _"Because without a voice, a person is no more than an animal."_

"Without a voice, a person is no more than an animal…" Pit repeated his mother's words. It was true. Even the white man looked at Dark Pit like he was some sort of animal. Pit clenched his fist tightly in anger. He should have fought back then. He should have done more to protect his brother. Instead, he chose to care for his brother only when it suited him. If his friends were playing hunt, Pit would abandon Dark Pit to join them. Dark Pit was always alone in their tribe. He never tried to interact with anybody else besides him and their mother ever since that day.

When their mother died and the white man took over their lands, Pit suddenly realized that the only one by his side was Dark Pit. He took it upon himself to take the utmost care of his brother, even if it seemed like his twin didn't need it. Pit vowed to be a better brother to Dark Pit than before. And he would protect Dark Pit at all costs. Even if it meant throwing away his tribe's traditions. His tribe didn't matter anymore. Only surviving with Dark Pit mattered now.

…

"Look, Roy. You're the only one who can stop him. You managed to shoot his brother. I'm sure you'll be able to get him too," Samus argued. The cowboy shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Samus, but I'm not in that business."

The four friends sat around Link's table. The kids were already sent to bed, leaving the adults to discuss the latest crimes Pit committed. It had been three days since Roy came into town. Ever since then, the sheriff noticed how the older bandit had been committing more and more crimes, curiously enough without his brother. Even though her shoulder still hasn't fully healed, she still continued to try and purse Pit the best to her abilities. Sheriff Samus had asked Doctor Mario to accompany her to try and convince Roy to help them capture the wayward bandit. Here they were under the dim candlelight, Samus glowering at the cowboy, Roy returning an indifferent look, Mario grimacing, and Link shifting uncomfortably. The sheriff tried again.

"Please, Roy. Try to understand. I'm not asking you to kill him. I'm asking you to help me catch him and bring him to justice."

The cowboy shook his head once again, "I can't do it. I'm sorry."

"Roy! People's lives are on the line! If you don't do something, these bandits could very much ruin all of us!"

"If I help, I'll only bring more ruin!" Roy slammed his fist on the table. As it was his first sign of aggression since the first day he came, it surprised his peers greatly. Even Samus flinched at the severity of his pound. A bead of sweat shone on the cowboy's forehead.

Before, only Samus and Mario had attempted to persuade Roy into helping them. The farmer had been a witness to the whole thing. Now Link finally spoke up, "Is there a reason why you can't help us? How do you know that you would bring more ruin to us? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Roy shook his head slowly. He exhaled deeply. "No…if I try to help, I'll only mess things up. It's happened in the past, and it's going to happen now."

"What about that first day? You managed to shoot one of the bandits!"

"At the cost of your shoulder, Samus! It could have been your life! I could have killed you with that!"

"No, you wouldn't have!"

"Yes! I would have! You would have died like my friend!" in his anger, Roy accidentally spilt the real reason why he wouldn't help them. His eyes widened when he realized that his new friends now knew the truth. The silence that plagued him once again appeared. The cowboy stood up abruptly, disrupting his chair. "I'm going to bed…I'm leaving first thing tomorrow…" without another word, Roy numbly walked into his room and silently closed his door. The three inhabitants left sat in silence, possibly waiting for the other to say something…anything.

"…no wonder why he's so distant," Samus mused. "He's scared…"

"After something like that happening, of course he would," Mario agreed. They looked to Link to see if he had any comments. The farmer stared at the table for a few seconds.

"…it's a pity to see him like this…" Link finally muttered. His two friends weren't sure whether he was talking about Roy's refusal to help them or his obvious pain of his past conflict. The farmer looked up, "I think…we shouldn't force him. If he wants to, he'll do it. If he doesn't, then we have no choice to accept and respect his decision."

The sheriff cursed briefly, snuffling out her cigar on the side of her glove made for that purpose. While she hated how she couldn't use the best resources at her disposal, she knew that Link was right. If Roy didn't want to help, then he didn't have to. The issue was theirs and theirs only. Why should they turn to an outsider for help? Samus sighed and rubbed her eyes with her hand.

"…you need your rest, Samus. I noticed that you've been working a lot more lately," Link said gently.

"More than you know," the sheriff said ruefully. "More than you know." Doctor Mario took her hand and led her out of her seat.

"It's late. Let's go home."

The three friends made their good-byes. Link watched as Samus and Mario rode off into the night, quickly melting into the darkness. The farmer inhaled the sweet night air before exhaling it with sadness and worry. He couldn't lie; he was a bit angry at Roy for refusing to help. But at the same time, he couldn't blame the cowboy either. The bandit did not provoke Roy directly, so he really had no reason to hunt the bandit down. Pit did harass the town, yes. But due to Roy's past, it made him hesitant to extend a helping hand without thinking about the consequences. The cowboy wasn't helping them because he didn't care. He wasn't helping them because _he did care_. It really was a pity that Roy couldn't see how much help he could be in this hunt…

Link sighed once before retreating into his house. He blew out the flickering candles and went to bed. Unbeknownst to all four, an intruder was listening in all along. Pit silently jumped off from the roof where he lay in eavesdropping. The Native American landed safely on the ground like a cat. His boots made virtually no noise as he walked over to Link's fields. His eyes shone brightly at the fresh vegetation before him. His heart leaped in joy at the idea that some white men actually respected the Earth and was able to grow such wonderful plants.

However his heart soon plummeted in despair when he thought of what was going to happen. His eyes lost their shine. Holding a matchstick he obtained from Mewtwo, Pit struck it against its matchbox. After several attempts, a single hungry flame licked at the match. Pit whispered a quick prayer to his gods before dropping the match onto a plant. The fire greedily ate the vegetation, leaving behind only brown ashes. The Native American sprinted away from the hell he made. He couldn't stand to look at his own results anymore. It pained him too much. But Pit kept convincing himself that it was for the benefit of Dark Pit. Yes, all of this, was for his brother.

…

Link yawned as he stepped down from his porch. He scratched his belly, looking around as he did so. He stopped in mid-scratch when the most horrifying sight greeted him so early in the morning light.

His whole field, years of hard work and vegetation, was gone. Absolutely gone. There wasn't a single speck of green left. All the plants, the corn, the lettuce, the tomatoes, all were now shriveled, brown skin, waiting to be decayed by the very bugs that helped them grow. The last trace of smoke from the huge fire disappeared into the clouds, but Link's sharp eyes caught it all. His nose sniffed the air, finding more evidence that his fields had been burnt. The farmer could only stare at his empty fields. His mind raced through the memories of hard work and determination he put into this farm. The burnt fields were nothing compared to the usual bright green Link was so used to working.

Both Toon and Young came out at the same time. Toon noticed how weird his "uncle" was acting. He opened his mouth to ask, but Young pointed to the reason for Link's behavior. Toon's wide eyes widened even more when he realized that the work he and his family had put in to produce those lives suddenly evaporated into flames overnight. The young boy fought the urge to cry, but the tears refused to listen. Sobs broke from Toon as he dropped to the floor. Toon's bawling brought Link out of his trance. He whirled around, his face filled with worry. Seeing his kid on the ground, the farmer rushed over. On instinct, Link hugged Toon in hopes of comforting him. He also pulled Young into the hug. The three relatives didn't say a word besides the growing sobs of Toon and the quieter sniffles of Young.

Footsteps alerted Link to look up. He was met with Roy's serious expression. The cowboy glanced out to the burnt field. Although his expression didn't change, Link could see the fire in the cowboy's eyes. After a few seconds of silence, Roy strolled purposefully towards the barn. Link watched him in confusion. Strange, this time, Roy was in all his gear. The past few days, the cowboy forwent wearing his jacket and shirt, opting for Link's clothes more suitable for farm work. When Link saw Roy riding out on his horse, his first thought was to curse the cowboy. Even though he knew that Roy would leave soon, Link still felt a bit of anger for him to leave at a time like this.

The cowboy passed the farmer without a single exchange of words. Link waited a bit before calling out, "You're leaving?" in the calmest voice he could mustered. He heard Seal's hooves stop. He could sense Roy turning around to look at him. Link noticed that Toon's sobs were reduced to whimpers. That was expected. What wasn't expected was what Roy said in response.

"I'm going to see Samus. I'm joining the hunt."

* * *

 **...ain't I a male bitch.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Pit gripped his shirt tightly. A strange pain plagued his heart and mind, causing him to pause. Although he knew that he only acted on Mewtwo's suggestion to lure Roy out, Pit couldn't stop the guilt from rising. He tried to convince himself that he was doing everything for the sake of his brother, but he couldn't help feeling that he had to have some evil intent in order to do what he did so casually. The Native American grunted a few words in prayer to make himself feel better. If the fire worked, he could very much kill Roy today. He had already made plans to escape Mewtwo's influence with Dark Pit when his twin healed up. It'd take a while, but they'd make it. They always made it.

The bandit scanned the town from his vantage point on top of the town hall. Since it was during the afternoon, most people had already gone for their naps. Pit was experienced in knowing the most optimal time to attack, usually when people are preparing to sit down and eat, or right after they finish their meals. The expectation for a time of relaxation naturally brought people's guards down, allowing a skilled fighter to move in for the kill.

The past few days, Pit had already robbed the general store, hijacked a few cattle, defaced several buildings, and set fire to Link's field. Today, he planned to steal more money from the bank. He didn't care for the green paper the white man found valuable, and he honestly couldn't understand why people would greedily do anything for it. Mewtwo had told him if he and his brother ever committed any robberies, they were to give him all the money they collected. Pit didn't mind that condition.

Pit jumped from the building and landed lightly on the ground. As soon as he landed, he sprinted over to the bank. His gun already in his hands, he raised it threateningly at the occupants inside. "Hand over the money!" Pit growled, tossing a bag to the banker. Upon seeing the criminal in front of him, he nodded quickly. A pink-haired woman dressed in a pink dress cowered away in fear. She screamed loudly for help. Pit scowled at the victim. If this woman kept screaming, she was going to ruin his whole plan! The Native American pointed his gun at her. She reduced her screams to whimpers at the first sign of knocking on death's door. Pit nodded, satisfied. He glared at the banker stumbling to put the money into the bag quickly. He switched his attention to the outside.

As if something was calling him, he reached over and swiped the bag away from the banker, causing him to shout in surprise. Slinging the money bag over his shoulder, Pit raced outside. He looked down one street and his heart almost skipped a beat at what greeted him. He cursed in his own language as the two riders came charging at him, dust kicking at their horses' hooves. Even with his ungodly speed, he knew that Sheriff Sam and Link would be able to catch him. But Pit wasn't one to give up. The bandit turned and ran towards the general store. He heard a bullet whisk by and plant itself in the dirt just a few inches away from his feet. His heart in his throat, Pit shoved his gun into its holster. The bandit climbed the post that held up the overhang of the general store. He grunted as he pulled himself up, barely escaping the various other shots. He leapt onto the roof, ducking immediately.

His hiding spot allowed him a brief moment of rest. He laid the heavy bag down next to him, grimacing at the nuisance. That damn woman gave away his position too soon! Pit cursed that townswoman once more. He pinched the bridge of his nose to help him concentrate. Okay, if the sheriff was smart, he would have sent one of them to the other side of the general store. Pit took a quick peep. Sure enough, he saw the green farmer waiting patiently on his horse. The horse tossed its head excitedly, pacing back and forth. So that would mean that Sheriff Sam was on the other side. Pit sighed. It looked like today wasn't the day he would kill that Roy then. For now, he should be more concerned about his escape. The bandit grabbed some of the cash from his bag and tucked them into the bags around his belt. The others he'd leave up here. If he could, he'd come back to retrieve them.

Pit reviewed his escape one more time. He would leap across the buildings like he always did. Then he'd jump off at the last building and make hell his way to the forest. From there, he'd escape easily. The Native American inhaled deeply to prepare himself mentally. He pounded his chest once for good luck and took off.

"He's heading to the forest!" Link shouted to Samus when he saw Pit leap over the buildings at an incredibly fast rate. Samus was about to respond when she heard shouts at the end of the line of buildings. She flicked the reins, urging her horse to go. As she rode, she noticed how Pit seemed to be struggling to get into the forest. The sheriff puzzled over the fast bandit's sudden sluggishness when two small, green figures came into her vision.

"Toon, Young! What are you doing?!" she shouted angrily. Hearing their names, the two boys naturally looked. Taking advantage of it, Pit grabbed Young by the neck, ignoring his screams. His strength surprised all of them as he didn't even seem to slow down with the kid in tow. Toon attempted to run after them, but Pit was just too fast for the younger boy. The bandit soon disappeared into the forest with his hostage. Samus reined in just as Link arrived at the scene. The sheriff had never seen Link angrier in her life than now. The farmer dropped from his saddle and rushed over to Toon. He grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him to emphasize his point.

"What were you doing here with Young, Toon?! Do you realize he could have killed you?!" Link yelled. Toon stood numbly, his eyes still wide in shock at how fast everything was moving. When he opened his mouth, tears were already dripping down his face.

"I-I-I'm s-sowwy!" he bawled as he wiped his tears away. "I w-wanted to join y-y-you on the h-hunt! Young w-warned me n-n-not to get in your w-way, but I-I didn't list-ten!"

"Quiet!" Link said sternly, his eyes still red with rage. A calming hand placed itself on the farmer's shoulder. Link turned to see Samus's grim expression.

"We don't have time to waste. Roy's waiting for us," she said. As much as Link wanted to stay and scold Toon more, he had to agree with Samus. They couldn't let the plan fail now. This may be their only chance of really catching the bandit right where they want him.

 _"Lead him into the forest. I'll be lyin' in waitin' for him," Roy pointed to the forest area on the map. Link looked at the map doubtfully._

 _"Ya sure you're going to be able to shoot him?"_

 _The cowboy nodded confidently, "Desert, forest, it doesn't matter. I'll be able to get a shot at him."_

 _"That forest is a web of branches and holes. It's extremely easy for Pit to hide in. I've lost him many times in that forest," Samus pointed out. "And what if you miss? You'll run on after him, leaving us behind. And we're not stayin' behind."_

 _Roy shook his head, "I'm not going to leave you behind. I'll mark a trail so you'll be able to navigate it."_

 _"Is your plan going to work?" Link asked the final question on their minds. The cowboy was silent for a few moments. He shook his head slowly._

 _"We can only hope…"_

Roy held his gun steady, ready to shoot when the bandit first appeared. The cowboy lay on his belly under the cover of leafy greens and browns. The birds, unaware of his presence, chirped loudly for the world to hear. Rays of sun filtered through the trees to offer a bit of light. Despite the butterflies in his stomach, Roy's breathing was regular. There were no signs of arrogance, only quiet confidence. He knew that he was fast, but when he saw the other Native American, he knew the bandit equally matched his speed. Roy was sure that his gun skills were much better than Pit's. However, the Native American knew more about the terrain than he did. With those factors in mind, anything could happen.

Unless Roy took out one of those factors.

He forced himself to relax when he noticed that the birds had stopped chirping. He readied his gun just as he heard something sprinting through the woods. It didn't sound like any thrashing he would expect from his companions, so Roy knew right away it was their man. However, the only noise that came with it sounded odd. The cowboy wasn't sure what to make of it until he finally saw what _was_ making it. Pit still had Young in his grip, the boy struggling to get away. The bandit scanned the area with his sharp eyes as he continued to traverse through the forest. Roy resisted the temptation to shoot him there. The only killing shot would be Pit's head, but with Young in his grasp, Roy wasn't willing to risk it. He decided to wait and watch Pit's next move.

The Native American continued to move forward until an abnormal scent hit him. He sniffed the air once, twice, before aiming his gun right at Roy's hiding spot. Pit pulled the trigger, the firearm blasting the deadly bullet to his target. Knowing instinctively that he had been spotted, Roy rolled to his right. He leapt to his feet with his gun pointed straight at Pit. Although his instincts screamed at him to shoot, his mind yelled for him to stop in fear of shooting Young. In the second Roy reacted, Pit aimed his gun at Young's temple.

"Shoot, and I kill him," Pit said. The boy whimpered, his eyes staring at Roy wide with fear. Roy held his gun loosely, still trained on the bandit. The two gunmen were at a stalemate, with one in danger of dying and the other in danger of having his friend's relative killed. Each man's eyes blazed with a determined fire. Even the forest hushed to match the tension the two were feeling, sweat trickling down their necks.

Roy finally made his move. He dropped the gun on the forest floor and held up his hands. Pit couldn't believe. The opportunity to kill his target just presented itself! He could finally be freed for Mewtwo's curse! Pit suddenly pointed the gun towards Roy. The cowboy took a step back in surprise. "It's not your fault. I don't know why, but Mewtwo just wants you dead," Pit explained. At that wretched name, Roy's deadpan expression darkened to one of anger. The Native American flinched at the sudden change. He wasn't expecting something like this to happen.

"You…work for Mewtwo?"

Pit paused before shaking his head, "I won't soon enough. After this job, I'll make sure my brother and I are gone far, far away from him!"

A cruel smile showed itself on Roy's lips, "Wherever you go, you won't be able to run away from it. Believe me, I tried. That man is dangerous. Stop following his orders now, or else you'll regret it!"

"Shut up! Don't talk like you know me, white man!" Pit spat. His arm shook violently, the gun still targeting Roy. "I'll kill you here and now!"

"Then kill me! If you have the guts, kill me right now!" Roy shouted, the smile gone.

Pit pulled the trigger. However, his nerves were not with him that day as his trembling set off his accuracy. The bullet grazed Roy's cheek, the cowboy barely flinching at the wound. The Native American began to back away, Young still in his grip. "I let you live this time, white man!"

Roy was about to respond when he heard leaves rustling and branches being pushed aside. He turned to look and saw Samus making her way through the forest with Link and Toon on her heels. The cowboy looked back to where Pit had disappeared. He could still see white traces of the bandit through the green and brown colors of the forest.

"Come on!" Roy grabbed his gun and led the chase for Pit and Young. His friends followed right behind him. Nobody said a word, the only sounds echoing were their feet slamming into the ground in an effort to gain speed. Roy ducked and dodged most of the trees. One stray branch knocked off the cowboy's hat. He didn't have time to worry about it as he could begin to make out the bandit.

The trees soon cleared, and Roy skidded to a stop. Pit glared at him, his back to a wall of cliffs. The bandit held Young tightly, the gun again pointed to his temple. Samus, Link, and Toon soon arrived as well. Samus aimed her gun right at Pit.

"Put your gun down, Pit. You're surrounded," the sheriff gruffly said. Link pushed Toon back with one hand and pointed his own gun at the bandit. Pit darted his eyes back and forth between the three guns, gauging which one would go off first. However, he knew that they wouldn't risk shooting him if he had that farmer's kid as a hostage.

"You put your guns down, Sheriff," Pit growled. "Or else I kill the kid!"

"You wouldn't dare," Link muttered in a dangerously low voice. The bandit smiled.

"I would." Again they were at a standstill. While four pairs of eyes stared at the bandit, one pair of eyes shifted between the three gunners. Although his face plastered with confidence, Pit could feel his heart sinking.

"…" Roy racked through his brains for something, anything that could be done to save Young. It was difficult to get an instant killing shot as Pit was holding the kid in front of him. They could shoot to disable the bandit, but he could still kill Young with a pull of the finger. They needed some sort of distraction…then it hit Roy. He could use it. He had to be patient and quick, but it just might work. Although the cowboy kept his eyes on the bandit, the corner of his eyes was measuring the length of the shadows. It had to be just at the right angle.

"If you let me get a clear shot of that cowboy over there," Pit jerked his head towards Roy. "Then I'll let the kid go."

"Only if you consent giving up your own life," Roy responded.

"The only who's gettin' it is you, Pit," Samus growled. The bandit bared his own teeth at the sheriff. With the bandit distracted, Roy slipped a hand into his pouch and grabbed his mirror. Pit sensed the movement and switched his attention over to his target. However, instead of seeing a redhead cowboy dressed in blue and black, all the Native American could see was a bright yellow light.

"ARRRGGHHHH!" the bandit unconsciously covered his eyes with his gun hand, leaving himself completely open. Both Link and Samus fired. Pit grunted in further pain when he felt the bullets rip open his skin. His arm strength gone, he was unable to keep his grip on the kid. Young quickly pushed Pit away and ran towards the safety of his guardian. Feeling his hostage getting away, Pit made one final attempt at Roy's life. He aimed the gun right at Roy's chest and fired.

As the bandit pulled his trigger, Roy pulled his own. Pit's bullet slammed right into Roy's shoulder, earning a grunt of pain from the cowboy. Roy's bullet, however, found its intended target: Pit's chest. It spiraled right into the Native American's skin and lodged there.

The bandit gasped in surprise at his injury. He felt the blood rising to his throat as he fell to his knees. He had to hold himself up with one arm as his other hand clutched his ruin shirt tightly. Pit couldn't believe it. He was actually dying today. He never…would have thought…Pit fell forward, unable to find the strength to continue holding himself up.

"Roy, are you all right?!" Samus asked. The cowboy nodded his head as he held his shoulder.

"I'm…just fine…" his face turned stern as he made his way over to the fallen bandit. He tucked the mirror safely away into his inner pockets. Once again, his friend's gift had pulled through and helped him survive another day, just like his friend said it would. The sheriff was about to stop the cowboy when Link held her back with a hand on her shoulder. He shook his head in a silent message to leave him alone for now. Young hugged his guardian tightly, sobbing and drenching his shirt. Link embraced his kid warmly, patting his head to comfort him further. Toon joined in on the hug, crying with great joy that his cousin was safe. The two adults watched their friend approach the bandit.

Using his good arm, Roy rolled the Native American over. He was a bit surprised that Pit was still gasping for breath. He was even more shocked about the tears that were streaming down Pit's face. The bandit's vision began to blur as the first signs of death. When he tried to focus them, he saw his killer watching over him. Pit grinned weakly.

"I…didn't have…the guts to kill you then…I…couldn't bring myself to kill you…" the tears flowed even more. "I…couldn't bring myself…to kill anybody…even if it was…for the sake…of my brother…"

"…where was your brother?" Roy asked. He had wondered about that for sometime. Samus had told him that the twins always operated together on their crimes. It was abnormal to Roy that Pit would commit the robberies on his own. After the bandit revealed his connection with Mewtwo, the cowboy had a pretty good idea where Dark Pit was.

Pit sighed, "Healing…injured…Mewtwo…promised he'd live…if I killed you…hah…but I guess…I traded my life for his…" Roy didn't say anything in response. Pit continued, "It's right…since I treated him…so…badly…" The fire from before restored itself in the bandit's eyes. Pit suddenly gripped Roy's arm tightly with his injured arm, causing the cowboy to jerk back in surprise. Samus and Link were close to coming to their friend's rescue, but seeing how Pit didn't do anything else, they relaxed. They realized that the bandit couldn't do much harm to Roy in his state. Roy leaned forward. It was obvious that the Native American was attempting to ask him a favor.

Pit coughed, spraying scarlet blood over his shirt. He croaked weakly, "Please…save my brother…I…don't want him…to end up like me…please…" the tears blurred the fading fire even further. Roy nodded quickly, letting the bandit know that his wish was heard.

"I'll try."

"Tell him…" Pit coughed again. "Tell Dark Pit…' _uyo ayelodi_ '…"

" _Uyo ayelodi_ ," Roy repeated.

"It means…sorry…" Pit grinned sadly at the cowboy.

Roy nodded, "I'll remember that…" More tears spilt from the bandit's eyes. He smiled brightly, as if a great burden was lifted from his shoulders. Pit closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. His mouth moved on its own. Although Roy couldn't hear what he said, he knew what he meant.

Pit had said " _uyo ayelodi_ " not only to Roy, but also to everybody he hurt. Roy leaned back. If only he could say the same thing to the people he wronged.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here it is! The final chapter! Honestly, I finished this chapter before chapter 5 XD because chapter 5 was the action scene and I was all like, "UUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHH...FUCK MY LIFE!" and didn't want to write any action even though I had some stuff planned out. Anyways...enjoy the bittersweetness!**

* * *

Chapter 6

"Ah, Dark Pit, how kind of you to visit me. How's your shoulder?" Mewtwo smiled as he leaned forward to rest his chin on his hands. The Native American before him glared at him and growled loudly. Mewtwo's smile was close to faltering at the wretched sight of the mute young man in front of him. How barbaric and uncivilized his henchmen's tribe was! To think, that they would go out of their way to prevent a newborn twin from ever speaking a single word during their lifetime. Dark Pit's inability to speak created a huge barrier for him all these years as people naturally shunned others who were plainly different from them, Dark Pit more so than the rest of his people.

Dark Pit pointed at his boss and growled incoherent noises, leaving his injured arm limp. Mewtwo's mind raced. He couldn't mess this up. If he wanted another attempt at Roy's life, then he would have to play his cards right. "I'm assuming you're asking about your brother?" The Native American nodded. "Well…I'm sorry to say that he's dead." Dark Pit's eyes widened at the new revelation. His look of surprise turned to one of hatred. He snarled loudly like a wild animal as he grabbed his rifle from his back and aimed it right at Mewtwo's forehead. However he did not yet pull the trigger. Mewtwo calmly watched Dark Pit breathe in ragged breaths. A cruel smirk crossed the man's face. Yes, this would work out just fine.

"I'm not the one who killed your brother. But I know who did."

More growls.

"Here," Mewtwo slid a picture across the desk. Dark Pit grabbed it greedily and stared at his brother's killer. His eyes narrowed in fury when he recognized the young man to be the same cowboy who shot him in the shoulder. "Coincidentally, he happens to be the same man who shot you," Mewtwo smiled. "If you're going to go after him, I suggest you move out now. I do believe he's leaving town soon."

Dark Pit glared at his boss one last time. His anger led him to rip up the photo in shreds with his teeth, leaving the scraps littered on the desk. He pointed and growled a few more things before rushing out the door. Mewtwo's smile turned to a frown at the Native American's actions. Although he couldn't completely understand what Dark Pit said, he had a pretty good guess of what he meant.

After Dark Pit assassinated Roy, he was going to come back and kill Mewtwo as well. Dark Pit was not the dumb animal Mewtwo thought he was.

…

The five had dug a grave for Pit. Even though he had terrorized her town for the longest time, Samus did recognize the sense of some integrity the twins had. Whenever they robbed, they made sure to leave some money for the people they stole from. They never killed, nor did they break into private houses of the townspeople. In a way, it was almost like they were children playing around. When the group returned, Doctor Mario immediately went to work attending Roy's shoulder. Samus found it a bit ironic that Roy was shot in almost the exact same place that he shot Dark Pit. Perhaps it was just fate laughing at them. Link continued to thank Roy over and over for rescuing Young. The two boys held the cowboy in even more awe now after they saw him in action, even if for a brief moment. Doctor Mario was stern on Roy's recovery. He wouldn't let the cowboy leave until his shoulder was in tip-top shape. It took some weeks, but the day when Doctor Mario deemed it was fine was a joyful, yet also sad day. The whole town had a party to say good-bye to their savior. During those weeks, it was noticeable that the remaining twin, Dark Pit, did not show up even once. The sheriff surmised that it was because his older brother was gone. Roy, however, instinctively knew why and looked forward to tomorrow when he could finally leave the town finally to its peace.

The dawn of Roy's final day had the sun setting as the cowboy readied his gear to leave. His new friends stood by, ready to say farewell. Both Young and Toon tried to be strong, but tears were clear at the corner of their eyes.

"Do you really have to go, Roy?" Toon asked. Young nodded numbly to his cousin's question. Roy smiled sadly at both of them and ruffled their hair. Seeing them so down like this was almost enough to make him cry as well. He never liked it when other people were sad, especially if he had some help in it.

"Sorry, buddies. I have to move on."

"At least come visit us sometimes," Young whispered.

"You bet I will."

The next person to say his good bye was Doctor Mario. He didn't say a word. He only smiled and gave Roy a hug. The redhead respected the doctor's silence and returned the hug. Mario whispered in his ears, "If you ever need a doctor, just call for me."

Roy chuckled, "Yeah, I'll do just that."

Samus watched as her two friends parted. She stepped forward and offered Roy a hand. As the young man took it, the sheriff suddenly pulled him in for a big hug. "I seriously cannot thank you enough, partner. Without you, I would still be hunting down those two twins."

"I'm sure you would have been able to catch them sooner or later," Roy grinned as he returned the hug. He pulled away, his face deadly serious. "You're a great woman, Samus."

The sheriff grinned ruefully, "Some people just can't see that."

"Heh, don't give up hope yet. People change. And I'm sure there's gonna be some new criminals out there for ya to bring to justice."

"Compared to the Twins, they're all small fry," Samus smiled.

The last person to say his good-bye was, of course, Link. The one man who did so much for him stepped forward to send his friend off with some last words. The farmer grinned his cheerful grin. Yet, Roy could detect the large amount of sadness behind his expression. Link held out his hand, similarly to how they first met.

"Well…it's been nice spending time with you. Although," he said slyly, "sometimes you moved at such a fast pace, I wasn't sure if I could keep up with you."

Roy blinked in confusion before shrugging, "I guess I'm just like that."

Link smiled softly at that, "Yeah. You are. What was that thing you said about sunsets being red again?" The farmer tapped his chin in thought. The cowboy stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at Link with such a bewildered look that Doctor Mario almost stepped forward to check his temperature. Fortunately, Roy regained his senses as he remembered how he muttered about red sunsets to Link when the farmer had asked about where the cowboy was heading.

Roy couldn't resist asking them, "So _do_ you guys know why the sunset's red?" This caused the whole group to screw their eyes in thought. Even the sun seemed to be searching for the answer as its rays reached over the town's buildings. The cowboy laughed at his friends' thoughtful reactions.

"Um…why?" Young finally had to ask.

Roy tapped his red hair, "Because out of all the colors, red is the fastest."

"That's not true! It should be green!" Toon quickly argued. The cowboy had to laugh at that. His laughter was infectious as Samus, Mario, and Link joined in as well. After a while, both Young and Toon also laughed.

"Heh. Who knows who's right?" Link said. "But all kidding aside…even though red is the fastest color, it still manages to wait for the other colors." The farmer pointed at the sunset behind Roy, "See? Although red is the most prominent color, there are still shades of yellow, orange, and white." Everybody followed the direction of Link's finger. Indeed, the sunset winked at them, its brilliance shining. Roy's eyes sparkled as he realized that Link was right. The cowboy smiled ruefully before climbing onto the back of Seal. He held the reins tightly. His horse neighed a bit in response. Roy patted his horse and looked at his friends one last time.

"I'll come back one day. I promise…I won't leave any of my friends behind!" with that, Roy urged his horse into action. Seal reared on his hind legs, neighing proudly. When his hooves landed on the earth, the horse took off, taking his rider into the sunset. The group of people continued to watch until the rider and his horse disappeared in a flash of red.

Link smiled sadly, "I don't doubt it…and I'm glad it was of some use...Red…"

* * *

 **YEAH! I'M DONE! I'M DONE! I'M DONE! YES! FINALLY! Hehe...I swear. I almost gave up on this story, but then I changed my mind and I said, "Screw it. I'm finishing it!"**

 **So, the idea for this story originated from the Western novel _Shane_. I read that book my junior year in high school and it probably was my first western ever. It was extremely interesting and I drew much inspiration from it to write this story. Another inspiration in writing this story was Kingdom Heart 358/2 Days. Some of you guys may have recognized Axel's stupid riddle, "Why is the sunset red?" I wanted to use that as the basis for this story. I guess I kind of pulled it off? I made up the "even though red is the fastest color, it still manages to wait for the other colors".**

 **I'm not exactly sure what kind of Native Americans the Kid Icarus and Star Fox cast were from. I did try to research on tribes that had the tradition of murdering a twin at birth but couldn't find any. So I said, "Screw it. There was a tribe that believed that one twin was good, the other evil, so I'll just use it. Don't know the name of that freakin' tribe. But screw it." The words from Chapter 5 are from the Cherokee language. The inspiration for Dark Pit talking in growls is actually from Rooster Teeth's Red Vs. Blue. The Meta only talks in animal-like growls, and, me being the douche I am, was all like, "Screw you, Dark Pit! You ain't talking in this one!"**

 **I just noticed that for this story and my Christmas one, Dark Pit is shunned in both and there's some sort of mirror involved some way, somehow. I don't know, maybe you guys see more similarities?**

 **If you guys don't know which characters I used, here's a list: Roy, Red Villager, Samus, Pit, Dark Pit, Doctor Mario, Young Link, Toon Link, Link, Mewtwo, Pichu, Luigi, Olimar, Alph, Shulk, and Pink Villager. I know Doctor Luigi is not in Smash, but he's technically Luigi with a white coat and a PHD, I guess...hope he's acceptable...**

 **Like I said before, Chapters 2 through 6 were a bit rushed as I was given more time to write them. I actually stayed up a few nights since my parents kinda discourage me from writing too much (secret!). Thank you very much, Flame Falcon, for giving me another week to write! If you guys enjoyed this story, then thank you very much! I am very glad. If you guys didn't, then I'm sorry it didn't meet up to your standards. To the other contestants, if you guys are reading this (which you guys probably aren't XD), then I wish you guys good luck in the contest. May the best story win!**


End file.
